2015.10.19 Independencia

Dear Mom,

What that`s so crazy that thanny ran a 16:18! Sheesh that`s fast, Sophmore year I ran a 16:59 so he beat me bad.

Right now I don`t really have much to say. It is awesome to be working again in the mission field. My area, finally admitting it, is a tough area. But that`s ok, I guess I just have to keep digging deeper to find miracles. Maybe it`s like digging or a spring. You keep digging and digging, and maybe you might get descouraged, but you can`t stop because you don`t know how close you are to break water. So I`m going to keep digging. My companion says that I`m like Elder Calhoun from The Best Two Years because I contact everyone. I haven`t even seen half of that movie. I`m pretty sure that it was shown in seminary 2 or three times, but I always fell asleep! But seminary teachers are the best.

Don`t worry mom about the gym, because I only have 30 minutes to work out everyday, and I don`t feel like it is enough. I can`t go out to run and I don`t have enough room to jump rope in the house, so I usually just to basic excersizes such as pushups and core and jumping up and down until I wake up the downstairs neighbors (haha.)

I don`t know what to think about BYU right now, Spanish and Book of Mormon studies would probably be the easiest classes to take for me when I be back. Unfortunately they would be easier than Ornithology, because I basically have forgotten all of that (well of course not, It`s hard for me to forget things, but I`m dormant in the cause.)

My companion and I do not wrestle [Note to reader: Davis was asked if, since he and his companion have been on their missions for the same amount of time, did they wrestle to see who was the "senior" companion], although that would probably be fun. I know that this letter is short and not very exciting, but I promise that I will have a wonderful story next week, because I am going to have a great week!

I love you!

Elder Garner

2015.10.12 Independencia

Doctor Cortinas- the doctor that fixed my toe forever. his name is funny because it kind of sounds like corteuñas, which means nail cutter. That´s the joke of the day.

This is "Doctors Hospital" They say it´s one of the best 10 hospitals in the world.

HEY MOM!!!!

Gosh I am feeling good! Let me tell you a couple things. First, I just got my stitches out and YAY I can walk again! I can run too, but probably not as fast as thanny right now. I am supposed to wait to play soccer for a week, but I don´t plan on playing for a bit. Also, I am eternally greatful that I have a mom like you. I remember on wednesday feeling terrible, and hesistant to tell you about my physical state, but I knew I should. The next morning I woke up without any pain! I know that it was your prayers that gave me that strength. I certainly know it. I started to remember the talk By Elder Holland  and thinking about how you were probably praying for me. Then when Sister McArthur [Mission President's wife] called me, I was even more certain. Thank you mom, I love you.

Well I don´t have much news from this last week, being that I was in bed all week, but now I won´t be. One thing I did do was finish the Book of Mormon for the 6th time in the mission, and I learned even more than the last time. I was trying to learn all about what the book of mormon taught about prophets, and President McArthur gave me the task of writing down and categorizing all of the scriptures and references that I found. Writing all of it down was a task, but I did find many more teachings from doing so. Organizing them I was able to see the great relationship that Prophets have with God the Father, with Jesus Christ, with the Holy Ghost, and with us. Their importance in our lives is great, because as it says in D&C 84, those who accept my servants accept my son, and those who accept my son accept me. We were very blessed to have been able to listen to the prophets and apostles this past week. Actually, we are going to have a 70 visit us this month, Elder Peiper, he´s of the area presidency in Mexico, so that should be excitng.

My new companion is Elder T, from Puebla Mexico. He has the same time as me in the mission, and is 20 years old. I have never had a companion that has been younger than me in age still (neat-o).

That´s good that thanny had a good race, my second time in clovis I came in dead last because I was super sick that day, how terrible was that! hahaha, I went home and slept all day. It was pretty humiliating. Anyway, I hope thanny is doing well in school too. Who´s his seminary teacher? Is Sister Bennett still teaching for Junior year? I´m fine with thanny using my room and all, as long as he prints a scripture and puts it in the corner of the mirror each week to PONDERIZE muahahahahaha. in spanish ponderize is meditizar...que padre.

My bank card is working , and the water here is fine, but if you want to send me a water filter thing the water would taste 10 times better, and there are some areas that don´t have cleanish water. That´s cool that dad is the secretary. Here in the missionary the secretaries don´t get much sleep, but there are two marriage missionaries that are secretaries, and I bet they know how to get sufficent sleep. My sleep habits are better than I´ve ever had in my life, so that´s pretty good. I remember when I came to the MTC and said "We get 8 hours of sleep?! That´s a ton!"

Anyway I´m going to do a bunch of missionary work this week,

I love you all,

Elder Garner

2015.10.07 Independencia

Hey Mom!

The surgery went pretty well. The doctor cut into the nailbed on both sides so that it doesn´t grow back, but now I have to wait until next monday to take out the stitches and be able to walk. I guess the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak! (I am still in Indepe)

Sounds like Thanny did a good job. That is a pretty fun course because you can set your own course (Ohhhhh, I´ll set my course, now when I´m young...) [Note to reader:  Nathaniel ran a race in a park where both boys attended an 11-year old scout camp called "Set Your Course"] Anyway. I´m pretty tired right now because I had a small fever yesterday and my kidneys kind of hurt right now, but do not worry mom. Since my toe isn´t ready I´m staying in home and resting. It´s not very fun, I´d rather be outside, but I´m learning from the trials. I´ve been "ponderizing" the scripture Romans 5:3-5...that more or less says: we rejoice in tribulation, because with tribulation comes patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope does not ashame, because it brings the love of God through the Holy Ghost that is given to us. I will be able to be more receptive to the Holy Ghost, which is a wonderful thing!

I loved the General conference. I felt the holy ghost confirm to me that the three new apostles were called of God.  I really enjoyed Elder Nelson´s talk, mentioning the importance of Women in the Gospel. I was really impacted by that talk, along with Holland´s and the two women speakers, how important women are in the Gospel. I don´t have that much energy to write, but I thank you mom, for being the best mom I´ve ever had (the only mom I´ve ever had) and all of the important women in the church, like Sis. Waldren and her rapunzel hair hahahha. 

I got wider shoes, and I will get my pants fixed.

Tell thanny to ponderize one of the scripture mastery scriptures he´s reading and I´ll do it with him :)

Love,

Elder Garner

p.s. I wrote today because it was our temple day, but I didn´t go because I don´t feel 100%

:)

2015.09.28 Independencia

Wow neat! Sorry you didn´t get the joke. here is the scripture in spanish:

 How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him that  bringeth  good  tidings;  that  publisheth  peace;  that bringeth  good  tidings  of  good;  that  publisheth  salvation; that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  reigneth;

it´s funny because me feet aren´t blessed. BUT EVEN MORE SO. I went to the doctor on friday to take out that toe nail, and the doctor said "uh huh, I´m not taking that out. that´s infected." So guess what, I gotta take pills for a week so it disinfects itself and so it isn´t as inflammed. The worst part is that I´m not supposed to walk on it...for the whole week. That is the worst part. I´ve got to wait until next friday to take it out. So this friday and saturday I spent most of the day inside...dying to get out and teach. It really isn´t fun to stay in. But I guess I´m gonna learn something from this and then I´ll be even more out and about to preach the word. I can still visit the people if a member drives us to the appointments we have, but there are only two active members in our ward that have cars, and they work most of the day. Actually, a less active member we are helping out gave us a ride to an appointment and later to the pharmacy to buy the medicine I needed. I´ll stop talking about this so Seth doesn´t go walking around saying "Hy did you read about what Elder Garner did this week?...Toenails Bro!"

But I´ve been doing great! Besides that, Elder R and I are just about done together, but we had a good run. Elder ruiz is super ready to tackle any task now and he is feeling ready to preach the gospel for the rest of his mission (and life.) I don´t know what else to saay about that, but I´m feeling pretty good. I don´t know what is going to happen (as always) but I´ll find out tonight, and you´ll find out next week hahaha.

During my time in the house, I was able to  finish the book of Alma. It´s always tough for everyone because it ends with a lot of chapters of war, and there isn´t too much preaching or teaching to be found. BUT, if you read carefully, there are many hidden treasures. Let´s look at the epistle of Helaman in chapter 58. He starts to talk about how they are suffering from lack of rations and lack of more troops. He doesn´t know why they aren´t recieveing provisions, and he says this:

34 Now we do not know the cause that the government does not grant us more strength; neither do those men who came up unto us know why we have not received greater strength.

35 Behold, we do not know but what ye are unsuccessful, and ye have drawn away the forces into that quarter of the land; if so, we do not desire to murmur.

This is what I noticed. First, He makes it clear that he does not know the reason. He says it twice hear. For that he does not judge and says that he doesn´t desire to murmur. I thought that was super neat. We should always think why Mormon included THAT scripture when we are reading, and how it applies to us. We can apply this in our days, many things we don´t know, why people act certain ways, why people do things, why people feel certain ways, why they say things. We shouldn´t complain for the actions of others when we don´t have a logical or reasonable answer to explain why they do that. For example, we shouldn´t judge an elder that stays in his house all day...because maybe he has a n ingrown toenail hahahahahhaha.

Anyway, I think that´s all I´ve got for today. It is pretty sad that Elder Scott died, but That means that we will have 3 new apostoles this next week. (Wow!)

I love you all, keep safe and not as sick as my toe!

Elder Garner